Mimic Pool vs. other Power Frameworks

[BoloOfEarth]

A player character in my game has a Mimic ability -- in addition to Shape Shift, it is bought with:

 

Shadow Mimic:  Variable Power Pool, 140 Pool, 70 Control, No Skill Roll Required (+1), Half Phase to Change Powers (+1/2); Only to mimic target powers up to the target's power level (-1).  Note that he doesn't have to touch the target to mimic him/her -- he's "tapping into the target's shadow" to establish that link.

 

One of the foes in an upcoming game has a Cosmic Power Pool:  VPP 90 Pool, 60 Control, No Skill Roll Required (+1), Powers Can Be Changed as a Zero Phase Action (+1).

 

I'm not seeing in the rules how a Mimic pool would handle mimicking other Power Frameworks.  (Would it copy a whole Multipower, for example, or just the individual slots in that Mulipower?)

 

If Shadow Boxer tries to mimic the guy with the Cosmic Power Pool, does he effectively get a cosmic pool himself, or would he only mimic the slots that the target has active at that time?  And if the latter, when the target changes his VPP slots, would the Mimic pool similarly change to match those new slots?

 

Please share your thoughts on the possibilities.

[pinecone]

Well...sadly you can't put a framework in a framework...unless 6th changed that. I'd "wing it" by letting him/her copy actual powers the Cosmic Dandy uses, and call it "good".

[mrinku]

Yeah. Copy the powers that were set when the mimicking takes place.

 

You'd have to use the power again to match any changes, IMHO.

[Opale]

and he won't be able to copy anything at all if the active Cost of the powers in the Cosmic Pool are greater than his own Control Cost.

 

Opale, which secondary main character is called Mimic

[Cassandra]

There is a very simple solution.  Simply use the VPP to have it buy only Multiform.  You can constantly change your powers and using the Limitation "Only to Mimic Powers of Target" will cut down on the control cost.

 

I should do a write up for Rogue using this method.

[dmjalund]

allow the Mimic to change items the target has in a multipower if it can be argued that they are different aspects of the power he is already mimicking - without having to touch the target again.

[BoloOfEarth]

There is a very simple solution.  Simply use the VPP to have it buy only Multiform.  You can constantly change your powers and using the Limitation "Only to Mimic Powers of Target" will cut down on the control cost.

 

The Mimic is already one form of a Mulitform.  Having a VPP within a Multiform that is itself creating a Multiform...  my brain is starting to hurt... 

[BoloOfEarth]

and he won't be able to copy anything at all if the active Cost of the powers in the Cosmic Pool are greater than his own Control Cost.

 

I don't agree that he can't copy it at all if it's greater than his own.  He can just go up to his Control Cost, no higher.  So if he's copying, say, Gravitar's 20d6 Gravitic Blast (100 AP), he could only copy 70 AP worth (14d6).  Note the wording of the Limitation (bolded and underlined).

 

Shadow Mimic:  Variable Power Pool, 140 Pool, 70 Control, No Skill Roll Required (+1), Half Phase to Change Powers (+1/2); Only to mimic target powers up to the target's power level (-1).  Note that he doesn't have to touch the target to mimic him/her -- he's "tapping into the target's shadow" to establish that link.

[BoloOfEarth]

Thank you all for your thoughts on this, by the way.  It's very helpful.

[Tom Cowan]

You should also point out he can't make a 10d Gravitic Blast (50 AP)  into a 14d Gravitic Blast (70 AP)

[pinecone]

There is a very simple solution.  Simply use the VPP to have it buy only Multiform.  You can constantly change your powers and using the Limitation "Only to Mimic Powers of Target" will cut down on the control cost.

 

I should do a write up for Rogue using this method.

Yep, thats my solution as well, but I didn't want to suggest rewritting the character just for this encounter.

[Opale]

Here my own Mimic Character, if that can help you Bolo. I didn't include picture, bckground, etc , to make it easier to read here.

 

Mimic

Val Char Cost Roll Notes

10 STR 0 11- Lift 100.0kg; 2d6 HTH damage [1]

20 DEX 20 13- OCV: 10/DCV: 8

20 CON 10 13-

12 BODY 2

10 INT 0 11- PER Roll 11-

13 EGO 3 12- ECV: 3 - 3

13 PRE 3 12- / 15- PRE Attack: 2 1/2d6/6d6

 

12 PD 10 Total: 12/20 PD (0/8 rPD)

12 ED 10 Total: 12/20 ED (0/8 rED)

5 SPD 30 Phases:  3, 5, 8, 10, 12

8 REC 4

32 END 3

35 STUN 8 Total Characteristics Cost: 174

Movement: Running: 24m/[Noncombat]"

Leaping: 4m/[Noncombat]"

Swimming: 4m/[Noncombat]"

 

Cost Powers END

100 Mimicking Stolen Powers: Variable Power Pool (Mimicry Pool), 60 base + 120 control cost, Powers Can Be Changed As A Zero-Phase Action (+1), No Skill Roll Required (+1) (240 Active Points); Skin Contact Required (-1), Requires a successful HTH Attack Roll (-1/2), Limited Power :  Must keep the Thoughts Stealing & Draining Life Contact I Powers, own's perks, Talents, Skills, and Mental (INT, EGO, PRE) stats) Power loses about a third of its effectiveness (from 600 CP) (-1/2), Cannot Retain Copied Forms (when character switches to anoActive Cost Is Greater Than 100.; -1/4); all slots Only For MultiForm (MultiForm is "alternate" Form with all of character's powers and exact copies of target's powers, REMAINING physical characteristics (STR, DEX, CON, SPD, PD, ED, REC, END, STUN, BODY, Run, Swim, Leap, i.e if they are higher than hers) and power-related Complications plus Physical Skills, and must have the Reversion Limitation & Time Limit up to 1min ) (-1/2), Cannot Copy Powers From Items/Focus (ie. gadgets, armors, cybernetics), neither Perks nor Talents (-1/4), Power Fails To Work If Cannot Copy Entire Target's Powers (-1/4)

In Whatever Form She Is... (90 AP)

24 1)   Thoughts Stealing: Telepathy 9d6 (Human class of minds), Persistent (+1/4), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2) (79 Active Points); Skin Contact Required (-1), Always On (-1/2), Only to read (-1/2), Surface Thoughts Only (-1/4) 0

4 2)   Draining Life Contact: Drain BODY 1 point, Area Of Effect (1m Surface; Damage Shield; +1/4), Persistent (+1/4), Constant (+1/2), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), Penetrating (+1/2), Delayed Return Rate (points return at the rate of 5 per Minute; +1) (12 Active Points); Skin Contact Required (-1), No Range (-1/2), Always On (-1/2) 0

24 3)   Super Toughness: Resistant Protection (8 PD/8 ED) 0

7 4)   Kiss Me! : Shock and Awe: +17 PRE (17 Active Points); Offensive Only (-1), Requires A Roll (Attack roll; -1/2)

6 5)   Shock and Awwww, Missed: Drain OCV 2d6, Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2) (30 Active Points); One Use At A Time (-1), Drain Effect Works Only Vs Mimic (-1), No Range (-1/2), Requires A  Charm Roll (Skill roll; -1/2), Requires a PRE+10 Effect Attack Roll (-1/2), Linked (Kiss Me! : Shock and Awe; -1/4) 0

 

Talents

9 +3/+3d6 Striking Appearance (vs. all characters)

 

Skills

4 +4 with Stealing Thoughts Power

 

3 Acting 12- (15-)

3 Analyze:  Magic 11-

3 Charm 12- (15-)

3 Concealment 11-

3 Deduction 11-

2 AK: Brittania 11-

2 KS: Mystic World 11-

2 KS: Arcane & Occult Lore 11-

3 Mimicry 11-

3 Paramedics 11-

3 Persuasion 12- (15-)

2 PS 11-

3 Riding 13-

3 Security Systems 11-

3 Shadowing 11-

5 Stealth 14-

2 WF:  Common Melee Weapons

 

 

Total Powers & Skills Cost: 227

Total Cost: 400

 

400+ Disadvantages

25 Accidental Change:  Touch Someone's Skin Always (Common)

10 Accidental Change:  (When takes Knockback or Body) Sexily But Dangerously Shredded Costume / Costume Destroyed By Some Powers She Steals 8- (Common)

15 Distinctive Features:  Unearthly Beauty (Concealable; Always Noticed and Causes Major Reaction; Detectable By Commonly-Used Senses)

15 Psychological Complication with Variable SFX:  Gets psychological quirks from those she drains (Common; Strong)

20 Psychological Complication:  Code vs Killing (Common; Total)

15 Psychological Complication:  Both Craving and Afraid to get close/touch someone else (Common; Strong)

15 Psychological Complication:  Driven By Family History To Become A Hero/Villain (Common; Strong)

5 Physical Complication:  Bad Dreams (More and more of misplaced, bad, or useless memories floating around in her head from the ones she drained) (Infrequently; Barely Impairing)

20 Social Complication:  No Intimacy (cannot do normal human activities such as hold hands, kiss, etc) Frequently, Severe

15 Social Complication:  Illegal Immigrant In USA Frequently, Major

15 Negative Reputation:  Power Stealer & Psychic Vampire, Frequently (Extreme)

20 Lack Of Education:  No formal schooling; self-taught from watching television. Can barely read/write Very Frequently, Major

 

 

Total Disadvantage Points: 400

 

 

 

Mimicking Opale

[Cassandra]

The Mimic is already one form of a Mulitform.  Having a VPP within a Multiform that is itself creating a Multiform...  my brain is starting to hurt... 

 

VPP 50 Points, No Skill Roll (+1), Half Phase (+1/2), Very LImited Choice of Powers [Multiform] (-1), No Technological Powers (-1/2), Only to Mimic Powers of those she's touched (-1/2)

 

Total Cost 58 Points

 

You can have a Multiform which will produce a 250 Points character.